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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28878354">just wait for me, i won’t be long</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlessflower/pseuds/sunlessflower'>sunlessflower</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Walking Dead (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Caryl, F/M, Fluff, I Will Go Down With This Ship, i hate everyone else but u type beat, i love them, i wrote this forever ago and just gained the balls to post it</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:34:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,568</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28878354</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sunlessflower/pseuds/sunlessflower</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>food is scarce, and relationships within the group are tethered. </p>
<p>on a mass supply run, will carol and daryl be able to maintain their grip on a dwindling thread of hope, or will they too be crushed beneath the pressure of it all?</p>
<p>in other words; is their unspoken love enough to dominate their fear of what comes next?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Daryl Dixon &amp; Carol Peletier, Daryl Dixon/Carol Peletier</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>just wait for me, i won’t be long</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>remaining twd stans: RISE!!!</p>
<p>this is my first story in this fandom (and on this account lol), so i’m a little nervous. this is definitely a multi-chapter, but i’m only going to post the first one and see how it does. </p>
<p>i have so much to say but i don’t want to bore you guys to death. if you read this I LOVE YOU!! please drop a kudos and a comment because they always make me smile :) enjoy! xx</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">
  <strong> <span class="s1">Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.</span> </strong>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">~~</span>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Carol shifted uncomfortably on the cool metal of the prison stairs, wincing as her back protested with painful desperation. She glanced helplessly at the cardboard boxes scattered at her feet and peeked over the edge of the remaining one. This particular box, having once been filled to the brim with canned goods, was now occupied by 4 puny cans of peaches. Medicinal supplies were additionally scarce, and Judith’s formula wouldn’t last into the next week. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Worry gnawed at Carol’s gut, tumbling over itself and stealing her breath. She stood then, making a beeline for the door to the courtyard so quickly that her head was spinning by the time she stepped foot outside. All at once, the early-evening air filled her lungs, and she shivered at the abruptness of it against her bare arms. The spring season had made its steady appearance with relentless thunderstorms, yet the winter temperatures persisted at night and in the untimely hours of the morning. She stood there for a moment, allowing herself to catch her breath before making her way to the North tower to take watch. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">The trek up the tower’s stairs left Carol winded as she reached the top, and her noisy entrance caused Daryl—who had shift before her—to turn around. She flashed him a smile before expending a shaky breath, making her way to the railing for support. The room was filled with an unsettling sort of quiet, where the only sounds that could be heard were Carol’s labored breaths and a pair of crickets chirping somewhere below. She heard Daryl’s footsteps creeping up behind her, firm and unsure all at once, before he leaned against the railing beside her. She fixed her gaze on the skyline in the distance that was painted with a vibrant palette of dusk and found herself wishing that she was one of the countless stars illuminating the night above them. Because, despite the usual bliss that night watch provided, the suspenseful silence of Daryl’s presence was so </span> <span class="s2">loud</span> <span class="s1">. Every feeling she had buried was resurfaced beneath his gaze, and Carol felt herself shrink as a result of it. </span></p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Y’haven’t been eatin’. Sleepin’ neither, have you?”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He meant it as a question, but she knew that he’d already determined the answer. Still, Daryl patiently awaited her response nonetheless.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Of course I have.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She failed to supply an explanation behind her statement, and her tone already admitted defeat, but her stubbornness had yet to falter.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daryl sighed, shifting so that he could face her all the while leaving his left arm braced against the railing. This prompted her to look at him, and his eyes solemnly met hers.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Don’t bullshit me, Carol. Any other fool in this prison might buy it, but I sure as hell ain’t.”</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His tone was gentle and reserved, and Carol had no desire to change that. She faced the skyline once again, which was now colored with a darker blue as the sun disappeared behind the trees, and propped up her chin in the palm of her hand.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Why bother asking if you already know the answer?”, she mumbled, a hint of playfulness in her voice, “What kind of game is that?”.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">From the corner of her eye she could see that Daryl didn’t budge, and she braced herself for his reply.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“</span> <em> <span class="s2">Carol</span> </em> <span class="s1">.” </span></p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">His tone was sterner now, and he held his position next to her; still expecting a genuine answer. Carol sighed deeply with accepted defeat, closing her eyes to summon the last bit of strength that she had left in her to soothe Daryl’s inquiries.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Hershel and the kids. Figured they need it more than I do”, she said, watching as the breeze sifted gracefully through the leaves and branches of the forest before her. Their lithe shadows danced in sync, lightly brushing their neighbor before falling back into the rhythm of the wind. She envied their careless manner and free range; a sort of peace that was hard to find in the world. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“Supply is low...real low”, she finished, lifting her chin from her hand so she could look at him again. She watched his eyes roam her face before they met her gaze once more, and she was reminded that she wasn’t alone. The prominence of exhaustion and the world’s cruelty decorated his features, and despite this she saw concern—for </span> <span class="s2">her—</span> <span class="s1">dominate his expression. </span></p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daryl nodded with reluctant understanding, casting his gaze downwards towards his boots. “I’ll make a run first thing tomorrow”, he assured her softly. Worry began to resurface within Carol, but this time, she forced it back down. “If you go, I go”, she stated simply, offering him a smile. He shifted his weight from foot to foot before bracing his other arm against the rail to face the forest. Carol pushed off from her place at the railing and stood beside him then, wrapping her arms around his bicep and nestling her head on his shoulder. “Don’t think you can get rid of me that easily, pookie”, she whispered into the air. Daryl chuckled through his nose, just one puff of air, something that wasn’t quite a laugh but mimicked one.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“You best be gettin’ some rest then”, he said, his gruff voice resonating through her due to their proximity. She pulled away from him, releasing his arm and crossing hers tightly against her chest. The breeze took advantage of her vulnerability and encompassed her bare arms in a thin blanket of the brisk night air, causing Carol to shiver against it. She scoffed then, rubbing her hands vigorously against her arms in a poor attempt to generate heat before casting a questioning look in Daryl’s direction.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">“It’s my turn to take watch,” she said, a coy smile beginning to tug at the corner of her mouth, “Despite what you might be thinking, I actually didn’t come up here </span> <span class="s2"> <em>just</em> </span> <span class="s1"> to flirt with you”. Daryl playfully rolled his eyes at her remark, shaking his head almost bashfully as a result of her teasing. </span></p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I got it. Can’t stand to be around you when you’re cranky in the mornings”, he replied. Carol looked at him with squinted eyes and a slight tilt to her head; an expression that vaguely reminded Daryl of a confused dog. “Are you sure?”, she mumbled unsurely, squeezing her arms tighter against her chest. He nodded in return, ushering every ounce of reassurance into his eyes and hoping that she would notice it. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“M’sure”. It was a promise that didn’t need to be spoken, but Daryl knew that it was one he would keep for her. A promise that encompassed her protection no matter the circumstances. In the end, he would always put her before himself.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Before she could respond, he nudged her toward the stairwell with a gentle hand at the small of her back. “Go on”, he murmured softly, watching as she complied with a slight stumble to her step. Before she descended the stairs, Carol stopped at the door and smiled at him with a mix of tenderness and gratefulness, each masked by sheer exhaustion. Then, she disappeared behind the wall and left Daryl with only the sound of her fading footsteps in her wake.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“There’s always room for two in my bed, you know”, her singsongy voice echoed up the stairs. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Stop”, Daryl called back, smiling as her laugh carried itself into the tower. The sound soothed him, lingering long enough that it buffered the sharpness of her sudden absence. He retrieved her bandana from his pocket, something that he had once clutched with anger and had used to blame himself for her death. Now, holding it delicately between his thumb and pointer finger, it was a symbol of her strength. He knew that if she hadn’t fought for her life in those tombs he would’ve given up on his own, and that was what made her stronger than him.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2">—</p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The hours passed in an eery silence, and eventually the night gave way into the early hours of the morning. Glenn appeared not too long after, relieving Daryl of his shift to get a few hours of rest before dawn. His footsteps were heavy with fatigue and echoed faintly throughout the peaceful cell block. He wound up at a cell other than his own; a room tucked into the corner of the block decorated with only a withered cherokee rose in a beer bottle, which was settled neatly on an unsteady wooden table that had been in the room prior to their arrival. Despite its emptiness, the cell had felt more like home to Daryl than any other house he had lived in before the world went to shit.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He looked at her then, laying soundly upon the iron slated bed in a fetal position with the sheets strewn loosely across her hip. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2"><em>This is our home</em>, </span> <span class="s1">she had said to him not long after his return from his disappearance with Merle.</span></p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <em> <span class="s2">This is a tomb.</span> </em>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Daryl remembered the look on her face in that moment; a brief flash of familiarity or sorrow that was there and gone so quickly that he hadn’t had time to understand what it meant. She turned her gaze blankly towards the wall in thought before she spoke again, </span> <em> <span class="s2">That’s what T-Dog called it. I thought he was right...</span> </em></p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She looked at him once more, her features solemn until a tender smile stretched across her face.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s2"><em>Until you found me</em>, </span> <span class="s1">she finished. Her words were quiet, yet to him, they were loud enough to make the walls crumble around them.</span></p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Now, Daryl supposed he knew what she meant.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">—</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Carol woke to a clamor of activity outside of her cell; the daily hustle and bustle of the group that she’s usually awake to participate in. Slightly disoriented, she sat up and squinted hazily around her room. The early sunlight shined through the high prison windows and squeezed through the iron bars that separated her from the others, emitting just enough light so that she could make out the outline of her hands through the dark. Her gaze wandered briefly around her room, stopping once she noticed a small tray that had been set on the ground beside the door. Curious, she padded over to where it laid, flinching as the cold concrete stung her bare feet. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">The tray had been neatly arranged with a small breakfast of some freeze dried sausage and a can of peaches that she remembered seeing during her inventory check from the evening prior. Beside the plate was a piece of paper; roughly torn around the edges and folded to conceal a short, yet messily written message:</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s2"> <em>Courtyard when you’re ready</em> </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Warmth spread like a wildfire throughout her chest despite the bitter cold that surrounded her, and she found herself smiling as she traced the jittery path of the pencil against the paper with her finger.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">She truly believed that Daryl could read her like a book he’s read a hundred times. No matter how worn the cover was, or if the pages were stuck together, he still knew the story they told.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">—</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">As she stepped outside, the air enveloped her in a biting welcome, but she was prepared for such an occurrence this time. She had dressed in a thin pink sweater with a brown hooded jacket for added warmth. The overwhelming strength of the wind prompted her to tug a beanie atop her head; mainly to keep her hair—which had now grown out to the point that it had started to curl at the ends—from blowing into her eyes.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With an unsteady sigh, Carol readjusted her pack of necessities on her shoulder and then began to push through the forceful wind gusts to the courtyard.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">—</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Daryl spotted Carol before she even looked in his direction. Even at a distance, he could tell that she had withered away to a dangerous point of fragility, but she seemed to have a bit more color in her cheeks and a firmness to her step now that she had eaten. He watched her helplessly struggle against the wind; stumbling sideways with one arm pressed tensely across her stomach as the other grabbed at the beanie on her head. As she got closer, she flashed a tight lipped smile at him and picked up her pace as so not to make him wait. He hopped out of the truck bed and closed the tailgate behind him to secure the few supplies the pair was taking with them and then met her halfway, relieving her of the bag she shouldered while supporting her with a gentle hand against her elbow.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Y’alright?”, he asked her, the mere question and tone reserved for Carol’s ears only. While he cared about the others in the group, he wouldn’t go out of his way to show concern for anyone else except for her, and Daryl still wouldn’t allow himself to admit the very reason for that.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Yeah,” she sighed, her blue eyes glistening as she gazed up at him, “a little winded is all”.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">He nodded as he looked back down at her, and she squeezed his bicep tenderly in return before they both walked back to the truck in silent agreement.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“It’s a good thing you ate this mornin’”, he grunted as he pulled himself onto the tire of the truck to secure her bag with the other supplies, “‘Cause you woulda flapped away in the wind like a piece of paper if you didn’t”. He snuck a sly glance at her through the curtain of his hair once he returned to the ground, smirking at the unamused expression on her face before it melted into a playful eye roll and a lopsided grin. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“I like you better when you keep your mouth shut”, she teased as he opened the passenger door for her. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">“Careful what you wish for”, he grumbled before closing her door and walking around to the drivers side. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">With a haste nod at Carl as he opened the gate for them, the two were off on a journey neither could predict, yet both anticipated the discovery of a surplus of hope to keep their group fighting through the next few weeks.</span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1">
  <span class="s1">Because when it came down to it, hope was just about the only thing they could rely on anymore. </span>
</p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><span class="s1">Daryl spared a glance at Carol; feet tucked beneath her as she rested her head against the window, relishing in the way the early morning sun kissed her cheeks and danced across her chest. He dug around in the console for a moment until he retrieved a cassette tape labeled </span> <span class="s2"><em>Bonnie</em>, </span> <span class="s1">which he then put into the cassette player and hit play. Fleetwood Mac played softly throughout the cabin as they drove, and he watched her face light up with a smile so wide it dimpled her cheeks as she hummed contently at the melody. As he looked at her, he wondered how the smallest woman could possibly carry the weight of everything evil in the world, and somehow make it all seem so light.</span></p>
<p class="p2"> </p>
<p class="p1"><em> <span class="s2">Maybe</span> </em> <span class="s1">, Daryl thought, </span> <em> <span class="s2">all of the hope I need is right here</span> </em> <span class="s1">.</span></p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>hi again! like i said i’ve had this written for a while, but i’ve been too scared to post it. it’s 2021 now and i decided to stop giving a damn, so here we are.</p>
<p>if this does well, i’ll post more chapters. please love it up, and let me know what you guys think :))</p>
<p>scream about caryl in the comments with me, why dontcha;)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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